The present invention relates to a wood type golf club head, and in particular, to a wood type golf club head having an improved aerodynamic upper surface.
It has been known that aerodynamic surfaces on golf club heads help increase the stability of the golf club as it is being swung and increase the speed at which the club is swung by producing air currents that produce turbulence, which in turn, affects the aerodynamic drag behind a golf club head.
In my own U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,828,265 and D 318,701, wood type golf club heads are provided with improved aerodynamic characteristics by providing elongated deep slots which extend from just behind the ball striking face to the rear surface of the club head. These structures channel air and causing it to spill over the rear surface, creating a controlled turbulence which decreases club head drag, allowing the club to be swung faster and with increased stability. Other golf club heads having aerodynamic shapes is shown in Milligan U.S. Pat. No. (2,550,846), Gordos U.S. Pat. No. (4,065,153) and Sinclair U.S. Pat. (4,900,029), among others.
In addition, there is a rather large variety of commercially available wood type golf club heads having various aerodynamic features for similar purposes. For example, there are golf clubs having dimples on the club head's outer surface, club heads having protrusions on the outer surface, and various non-planar features to increase the aerodynamic effects of these clubs.
The present invention is directed to a wood type golf club head having an improved aerodynamic surface structure using at least one shallow aerodynamic slot or depression in the upper surface of the club head, positioned from approximately midway on top surface toward the rear surface of the club head. This arrangement permits the greatest aerodynamic activity adjacent the rear portion of the club head where the aerodynamic effects will create the most impressive results in terms of reducing club head drag.
One of the preferred embodiments uses a single slot formed approximately midway of the top surface of the club head and extending rearwardly proximate the upper rear portion thereof. Other embodiments include a plurality of air slots from midway on the top surface to the rear surface, both in parallel and in angular configurations. Still other embodiments contemplate the use of a multi-tiered aerodynamic slot formed at the rear top surface of the club head.